Orange County has a judicial vacancy
Gov. Ron DeSantis has requested the Ninth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission provide him with names of highly qualified nominees for one Orange County Court vacancy.
The commission requires interested candidates to submit a completed application for consideration to Chair Christian W. Waugh at [email protected] on or before January 16, 2025, (3 p.m.). Incomplete applications and untimely submissions will not be considered. Applicants in need of guidance should direct inquires to the chair. Applicants must qualify to hold office for county court under Article V, Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Those qualifications include having been a member of The Florida Bar for the preceding five years, being a registered voter in the state of Florida, and the applicant must reside in Orange County at the time of appointment.
Applications may be downloaded from the Office of the Governor at www.flgov.com, and must include a recent photograph, preferably as a cover page. Applicants must also include current contact information, including email addresses, for themselves, as well as for all co-counsel, opposing counsel, and references to facilitate the requisite background investigation.
All applications must be submitted in one file in .pdf format. A second .pdf version of the application must also be provided with redactions to protect personal information not subject to public disclosure as permitted by Section 119.071, Florida Statutes. The two .pdf files should be named in a “last name/first name” format. For example, a qualified applicant named Douglas MacArthur should submit two files named: (1) MacArthur.Douglas.pdf and (2) MacArthur.Douglas-REDACTED.pdf. Applications not submitted in the correct format may be rejected and paper applications will not be accepted.
After the applications are received, the Ninth Circuit JNC will convene via Zoom to discuss the applications on Friday, January 17, 2025, at 2 p.m. ET. This meeting is open to the public via Zoom or phone, as described below. The following information may be used to access the meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83784914656?pwd=Ey06KYMehiz1YzyrKMZ0djaGFH7Xqm.1
You may also dial in by calling 305-224-1968, but be sure to have the following information ready:
Meeting ID: 837 8491 4656
Passcode: 415598
All interviews will be held on or before February 18, 2025, at the offices of DownsAaron PLLC, 200 S. Orange Ave, Suite 2250, Orlando 32801. The exact date and time of interviews, to the extent granted, will be set at a later date. Applicants will be notified of their interview time.
Further information regarding applicants and schedule of interviews will be posted on Gov. DeSantis’ executive website soon after the application deadline. If you have any questions, reach out to the Chair Waugh, at his contact information below.
Members of the bench, the Bar, and the public are encouraged to contact the members of the commission concerning applicants for judicial positions. Letters of recommendation should be emailed or mailed to all commissioners at any time before the interviews begin. The contact information for the commissioners is:
Christian W. Waugh, Chair
Waugh PLLC
201 E. Pine Street, Suite 315
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 321-800-6008
Michael A. Sasso, Vice Chair
Sasso & Sasso, P.A.
1031 W Morse Blvd., Ste. 120
Winter Park, FL 32789 Office: 407-644-7161
Jeffrey Aaron
DownsAaron PLLC
200 S. Orange Ave, Suite 2250
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 407-349-3949
Eric Jontz
Fishback Dominick LLP
1947 Lee Road
Winter Park, FL 32789
Office: 407-262-8400
Matthew Klein
Signature Aviation
13485 Veterans Way, Suite 600
Orlando, FL 32827
Office: 407-206-5291
Michael Nardella
Nardella & Nardella, PLLC
135 W. Central Boulevard, Suite 300
Orlando, FL 32801-2435
Office: 407-966-2680
Tim Schulte
Zimmerman Kiser Sutcliffe, P.A.
315 E. Robinson Street, Suite 600
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 407-425-7010
Joseph Towne
Wilson Elser Moskowitz, et al
111 N. Orange Ave, Suite 1200
Orlando, FL 32801
Office: 407-203-7599
